THE COLD WEATHER might mean that Dublin football champions Kilmacud Crokes have been forced to wait an extra week in their quest to regain the Leinster club football championship, but as they say, it’s an ill wind that doesn’t blow someone good.

The delay of the Leinster final against Rhode of Offaly – which, like the hurling final between Oulart the Ballagh and O’Loughlin Gaels, has been put back a week – means that the team’s Wexford intercounty wingback Adrian Morrissey will be free to play.

Morrissey is currently suspended after being sent off for Crokes in their Dublin league match against Erin’s Isle, and his four-week ban would include any fixtures taking place on Sunday.

His suspension expires during the week, however, and so he would be available to play in the refixed match.

As Hogan Stand notes, the delay is helpful for other reasons because if the match had proceeded as planned in Portlaoise, Niall Corkery and Rory O’Carroll may both have missed the game – because they’re stranded abroad in London and Orleans respectively.

The Leinster hurling decider has been postponed until Sunday week too, with that game fixed for Carlow.

Meanwhile, the Munster football final between Dr Crokes and Nemo Rangers (set for Limerick) is also off, as is the Ulster decider between Crossmaglen and Naomh Conaill.

The Ulster delay is the second week in succession that the senior and junior finals there have been postponed; they’re now set to take place on Sunday December 12, in their original venue of Clones.

In other codes, Ulster’s Magners League game at home to Newport is off, though Munster’s home tie with the Cardiff Blues on Saturday is still set to go ahead, with the earlier kickoff of 5pm instead of 7:30pm.

Leinster’s away clash with the Scarlets is still set for tonight, kicking off at 7:05pm; Connacht’s home tie against Aironi has been delayed since earlier in the week.